Chapter Fifteen –
First Doctrinal Problem
ACTS 15:1-2:
In our
last lesson, we concluded the first preaching
journey of the Apostle Paul. The journey concluded by Paul and Barnabas
returning to where the journey began, Antioch of Syria. They are going to
stay here for some time with the disciples at this location (14:28).
Up to this
point, the Body of Christ has
only known external trouble via persecution by non-believers (8:1;
9:1;
11:19); now the Body of
Christ is going to be faced with the first internal problem, which will
continue to be the number one internal problem for many years to come –
Judaizing teachers.
An
interesting point to note, early on, is that the persecution has come from
Jews who did not believe; now the doctrinal problems will additionally come
from Jews who have secretly come in to undermine the Gospel of Jesus Christ
from within.
Text #1:
Acts 15:1-2
“And certain men came down from Judea and taught
the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses,
you cannot be saved.”
2
Therefore,
when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they
determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to
Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.”
I strongly
recommend
that everyone read the entire
second chapter of
Galatians, as Paul will refer to the events of
this
chapter of
Acts
there and give additional information to coincide with Luke’s (I will
periodically refer to this chapter of
Galatians in the lessons for this chapter).
Came Down
From Judea:
For the sake of understanding where the problem originated from; Luke here
states that these “men came down”
to Antioch of Syria. It should be noted
first, that up and down used by
Luke is not the direction of the map, but that of elevation. Jerusalem,
where these men will come from, is one of the highest points in all Judea
(especially the south), and as such
“came down” demonstrates that Antioch of Syria is lower in elevation.
Second,
it gives the origin of the problem and the reason it would be sought for
Paul and Barnabas to go back there to see to the solution. This takes away
any argument of sponsoring churches, as the
Body of Christ in Jerusalem is
not a headquarters in this case, but simply where the men came from who
brought the problem into the Body.
Third,
it will be very important to note, for the same reason that those who came
with this false doctrine, did not come with the blessing of the
Body of Christ in Jerusalem. In
fact, we will learn that they come from the sect of the Pharisees (Vs.
5), and that they were infiltrators, note:
Galatians 2:4-5
“And this occurred because of false brethren
secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we
have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage),
5
to whom we
did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel
might continue with you.”
Problem:
These Judaizing teachers are demanding that Gentiles be circumcised
according to the tradition of Moses (we will learn in
Verse 5 that they expect that the traditions of Moses be kept as
well).
The Law of
Moses was never meant to exist as a system of righteousness after the coming
of the Messiah of God.
Romans 1:16-17
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is
the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first
and also for the Greek.
17
For in it
the righteousness of God is revealed
from faith to faith; as it is written,
“The just
shall live by faith.””
First,
it had been given to the children of Israel only –
Deuteronomy 4:8-9;
6:4-9; etc… Most important, it was given to Israel to bring forth
the oath that God had made through them:
Deuteronomy 7:7-8
“The
Lord
did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number
than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples;
8
but because
the
Lord
loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your
fathers, the
Lord
has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of
bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.”
The oath
included a great name and nation through Abraham (Genesis
12:1-3), but most importantly it included a promise, whereby God
would bless all!
Second,
to this final part of the original promise, God began instructing this
people that the time would come when the One who would bless all came,
Him they would hear in all things, even over Moses –
Deuteronomy 18:15-18 (Peter quotes this in the second recorded
sermon;
Acts
3:22-23). Then by the prophets of God, He would prepare this
people for the time when He would give them a new covenant, not written on
stone, but on men’s hearts –
Jeremiah 31:31-34. The Hebrew writer would quote this verbatim –
Hebrews 8:8-12; and then added the following:
Hebrews 8:13
“In that He says, “A new
covenant,” He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming
obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”
It was
always God’s intent to abrogate the Law of Moses (do away with power –
Hebrews 10:9). Everything in Christ Jesus is superior, making
everything before inferior –
Colossians 2:14-17.
Now before
we get too far; is there something the Law can teach us?
Sure!
Paul will
explain that we can learn much from the patterns of disobedience by the
children of Israel as a set of character traits to avoid –
Romans 15:4;
1
Corinthians 10:11;
Hebrews 3:7-4:1.
We can
learn about the character of obedience by faith needed to please God –
Hebrews 11.
We can
additionally learn from the great preparatory work of God and His promises
to come in the Christ, a great deal about the nature of God –
Galatians 3:24.
However,
the righteousness of God is now revealed apart from the Law (having been
abrogated) in Christ Jesus the Lord –
Romans 3:21-26
(righteousness – to be right with God).
There are many today who have yet to accurately divide the word of God in
order to properly instruct the righteousness of God! So, although this
problem was localized to Judaizing teachers as a point of fact, there is
much to learn about the need to accurately discern the divisions.
The Jews who rejected the Lord in the flesh would continue to reject the
Gospel of Him as the Christ, and or pervert the Gospel by trying to cling to
the Law of Moses and circumcision –
Galatians 1:6-10.
Paul will additionally tell that it has been 14 years since the Apostles of
our Lord began to work in Jerusalem that this problem would occur –
Galatians 2:1.
This would be, as I mentioned earlier, the number one problem in the early
Body of Christ; and much of the writing and teaching of the Apostles would
have to focus on this problem (Romans;
2 Corinthians;
Galatians;
Philippians 3:1-11;Colossians
2:11-17;
1 Timothy;
Titus;
Hebrews
– just to name a few!). Here is the beginning!!!
Dissension:
This word is translated from the Greek,
‘Suzstuo’, which emphasizes a
mutual discussion of differing sides, debate, and disputation; however, in
Paul’s own words (Galatians
2:5);
it would seem that the discussion was extremely heated.
Determined:
Paul makes no bones about the fact that they did not yield to these false
teachers even for a moment; however, since the problem can from Jerusalem,
they determined that the only way to truly stop the problem, was to go to
the source.
Apostles and Elders:
It is insinuated in
verse 2,
that these false teachers were additionally claiming authority from the
Apostles and elders which were still in Jerusalem (Acts
8:1);
thus for Paul and Barnabas to go to them.
Paul, as a true Apostle of Jesus Christ had the authority to establish this issue in Antioch of Syria; however, if a question about the doctrine being taught by the Apostles of the Lord was in question (whether true or not); the division could weaken the work of the Gospel and the credibility of the Spirit of God working through them. Paul would add to Luke’s account of this event by stating that it was the Spirit of God who told Him to go (Galatians 2:2), which enforces the need to show the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:3).
Next: “To
Jerusalem!”